The Average Salary of Football Coaches

Football coaches are the leaders of football teams. Their duties include supervising other members of the coaching staff, coordinating practices, and developing game plans. Football coaches work in high schools and on the collegiate level in addition to the professional level. Salaries range from several thousand to several million dollars yearly, depending on the level.

High School Football Coaches

Many high school coaches are full-time teachers who are paid a salary for teaching. As compensation for their time and service as a coach, they receive stipends from the school. These stipends may range from $3,000 to as much as $10,000. In an October 19, 2010, article for The Oregonian, Rachel Bachman states that head football coaches at approximately 20 high schools will make an average of $6,328 yearly. Similarly, in Chesapeake, Va., high school football coaches make $6,729 yearly as of 2010. Because of budget cuts to many schools and their extra-curricular programs, stipends for high school football coaches are stagnant or, in some cases, decreasing.

Division 1 College Head Football Coach

According to a November 10, 2009, USA Today article, Division 1 college head football coaches continue to receive multi-million dollar salaries despite dismal economic conditions in the U.S. As an example, University of California head coach Jeff Tedford receives an annual salary of $2.8 million while University of Arizona head coach Mike Stoops earns roughly $1.3 million annually. Furthermore, the article adds that the average salary for head football coaches in the top 120 football programs in the country is $1.3 million annually. Roughly 35 percent of Division 1 head football coaches earn more than $1 million annually.

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Division 2 College Head Football Coach

Division 2 college football programs have smaller budgets, award fewer scholarships and are not as prestigious as Division 1 college football programs. Thus, head football coaches on this level earn $60,000 to $90,000 yearly on average. However, top coaches in this division may earn over $100,000. According to Mlive.com, former Grand Valley (Mich.)State head football coach Chuck Martin made $125,000 yearly before leaving for a coaching staff position at Notre Dame.

National Football League Head Football Coach

The National Football League represents the pinnacle for both players and coaches. As of 2010, top coaches in the league include Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, Mike Shanahan and Andy Reid. However, salaries for coaches at the professional level equal the salaries of coaches at the collegiate level. NFL News states that the average yearly salary for head football coaches is $1 to $2 million per year. Bill Belichick ($7 million annually), Mike Shanahan ($7 million annually) and Pete Carroll ($7 million annually) are the highest-paid head coaches as of 2010.

United Football League Head Coaches

The United Football League (UFL) was created in 2009. Former NFL head coaches Jim Fassell, Ted Cottrell and Dennis Green are among the coaches in the league. Salaries for each of these coaches is approximately $500,000 yearly, while lesser-known coaches earn slightly less. League Commissioner Michael Huyghu has expressed a desire for the league to provide coaching salaries that are competitive with NFL coaching salaries.